SCRIPTMENT Meaning and
Definition
-
A 'scriptment' refers to a type of written document that serves as an intermediate form between a script and a treatment in the context of film, television, or theater. It combines elements of both a detailed treatment and a screenplay, often serving as a more elaborated version of a treatment while still retaining the flexibility and creativity of a script.
Typically, a scriptment is longer than a traditional treatment, ranging from 30 to 100 pages, and contains a comprehensive narrative outline of the story, coupled with detailed descriptions of scenes, characters, and dialogues. It may also include notable camera angles, visual cues, or other stylistic details intended to guide the visual execution of the story.
The purpose of a scriptment is to capture the essence of the story while allowing for room to explore and experiment with various ideas before finalizing the script. It is often used during the pre-production phase as a tool for initial discussions between writers, directors, and producers. Screenwriters may write a scriptment to present a visual representation of their concept to potential collaborators, offering them a more immersive and tangible understanding of the project. This allows for further brainstorming, feedback, and alterations before proceeding to the scriptwriting stage.
Overall, a scriptment serves as a bridge between the early stages of story development and the more structured format of a screenplay, providing a versatile framework to convey the narrative vision of a film or television project.
Etymology of SCRIPTMENT
The term "scriptment" is a blend of the words "script" and "treatment". The word "script" comes from the Latin word "scriptum", which means "something written". In English, it specifically refers to a written text, particularly for a play or a movie.
The word "treatment", on the other hand, comes from the Latin word "tractamentum", meaning "handling" or "management". In the context of scripts, a treatment refers to a prose description of a story or screenplay, providing an overview of the plot, characters, and key elements.
The combination of these two words, "script" and "treatment", gives us the term "scriptment". It refers to a blend or a hybrid form of a script and a treatment, often used to outline a story or screenplay, offering a more detailed narrative with some elements of dialogue, action, and descriptions.
